Mr. B. C. Brodie on Myricine. 257 



me to the suspicion that the so-called myricine was no pure 

 chemical substance, but a mixture of two or more bodies. 

 Subsequent experiment confirmed this view. 



The residue of the wax, after the cerotic acid has been 

 boiled out by alcohol, melts at 64° C. It is but very slightly 

 soluble in alcohol. Pure aether, however, will dissolve it with- 

 out much difficulty. It crystallizes out of this reagent in 

 light feathery crystals. The precipitate and the residue from 

 the solution, evaporated to dryness, have different melting- 

 points. I succeeded in this manner in raising the melting- 

 point of the precipitate to 71°'5. This end may be more 

 readily obtained by adding a small quantity of naphtha to the 

 aether. 



The following analyses were made of a substance of 72°, 

 which after repeated crystallizations was precipitated on the 

 filter out of the hot solution, the filter being kept hot by means 

 of a hot water apparatus. I have not succeeded in raising the 

 melting-point beyond 72°. The substance is now highly cry- 

 stalline in appearance, which the impure myricine is not, and 

 of about the consistency of wax. I regard it in this state as 

 pure. 



COj. HO. 



I*. 0-2592 grm. of substance gave 0-7735 0'3135 



II. 0-2243 grm. of substance gave 0'672 0-269 



which give in 100 parts, — 



Carbon ... 81-38 81-70 



Hydrogen . . 13-44 13-33 



Oxygen . . . 5-18 4-97 



100-00 100 '00 



These numbers are very different from any which have been 

 before obtained for any substance from the myricine, and dif- 

 ferent from those which I myself have obtained for substances 

 of a lower melting-point. The crystalline appearance marks 

 the purity of the substance, and notwithstanding the slight 

 diflfierence in the hydrogen, I cannot but regard it as the body 

 C92 H92 O4, with the calculated formula of which, as given 

 above, it sufficiently agrees. I must add that the substance 

 is separable with extreme difficulty. The next precipitate 



♦ The thorough combustion of these waxes is difficult, and I have made 

 many experiments to ascertain the best method of analysis. Bichromate 

 of lead was the material generally employed. But when the combustion is 

 made very slowly, I believe it to be complete even with oxide of copper 

 alone. The greater number of such analyses in this investigation were 

 made by ray chemical assistant, Mr. L. Hoffmann, to whose care and skill 

 I am much indebted. 



Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 35. No. 236. Oct. 1 849. S 



